I often recommend to my friends and clients that top notch ski resorts in the summer offer excellent redemption opportunities because you greatly increase your chance of receiving a complimentary suite upgrade. In addition, it is not uncommon with summer occupancy rates to have the amenities and service quality of a world-class resort all to…
Trip Reports
Category Archives for Trip Reports.
Konnichiwa Japan Trip Report – Japan Airlines Economy Class from ORD to NRT
My general philosophy when it comes to award redemptions is that if I can accrue enough miles for a business class ticket, then I can also afford two economy class tickets and share the trip with someone. While the Japan Airlines business class ticket was quite tempting, I stuck with my philosophy and went for…
Konnichiwa Japan Trip Report – Introduction and Planning
Five months ago I returned from a 2.5 week trip throughout South East Asia. I loved the trip and culture so much that I knew I wanted to see more in Asia, even before the Cathay Pacific 777 touched down in the US. I have a ‘book now and figure it out later’ mentality when…
Le Parker Meridien New York Trip Report
The Le Parker Meridien is uniquely positioned between 56th street and 57th street in Mid Town Manhattan. It’s located near Central Park, Fifth Avenue shopping, and Broadway theatres. The hotel provides some wonderful yet semi-obstructed views of Central Park. For this stay, I was a Starwood Preferred Platinum guest paying a negotiated rate. The Le…
Arctic Adventure – Unforgettable Encounter
Barrow provided me the most memorable trip I have ever experienced. One unforgettable encounter was unlike any other I’ve had before. Trip Report Introduction Initial Impressions of Barrow Exploring Barrow An Unforgettable Encounter During our Barrow tour, we finished up the city portion and headed for Point Barrow, the northernmost point in the United States.…
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
The Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay offers great views of the Tampa Bay. The location and views from this hotel offer a nice retreat for the business traveler. Unfortunately it is one of Hyatt’s oldest Tampa Bay area properties. This hotel was build about 20 years ago and is finally undergoing renovations in preparation for the…
Arctic Adventure – Exploring Barrow
Admittedly, there is not a whole lot to do in Barrow. The real joy was taking in the sights, sounds, and extreme cultural differences of this isolated Alaskan city. Trip Report Introduction Initial Impressions of Barrow Exploring Barrow An Unforgettable Encounter After a 30 hour journey on Alaska Airlines, my 737-400 Combi touched down at…
Arctic Adventure – Initial Impressions of Barrow
I can’t fully capture all of the feelings and emotions I experienced in Barrow, Alaska. A lot of these observations will seem random and scattered, and that is the point. The trip was a sensory overload with every hour bringing amazing and memorable observations. Barrow is truly unique. So here goes……. Trip Report Introduction Initial…
Westin Tampa Bay Review And New SPG Platinum Amenity
The Tampa Bay area and Florida in general is a great place to spend a long weekend. With close proximity to beaches and warm weather it is easy to justify a quick trip down to the Sunshine state. Tampa has a number of hotel options that are a good value. The Westin Tampa Bay is…
Ritz Carlton New York Central Park
The fall is such a great time to visit New York City. The weather is great and it is ideal walking weather. This past fall we booked a last minute award trip up to New York City on a Delta jet and used a few award nights for a stay at the Ritz Carlton New…
Upcoming Trip Reports + Free Award Wallet Upgrade
Only one more day to enter for a chance to win one of 30 free Award Wallet upgrades to a Plus account. On another note, we are working to get a few new trip reports up on the blog very soon. Upcoming Trip Reports New York, NY – W Hotel Lexington Avenue New York, NY…
Guest Post – Kon’nichiwa Japan – Trip Planning
Four months ago I returned from a 2.5 week trip throughout South East Asia (trip report upcoming). I loved the trip so much that I knew I wanted to see more in Asia, even before the Cathay Pacific 777 touched down in the US. I have a ‘book now and figure it out later’ mentality…
Guest Post – Kauai Trip Report – Exploring Kauai’s North Coast
As challenging as it was to leave the stunning St Regis Princeville Resort, we did manage to venture out and explore an array of activities available on the island. We opted to forgo the world-class Golf and Shopping in Princeville and instead decided to connect with nature through Hiking and Kayaking. Trip Report Introduction American…
Hyatt Regency Jersey City Review
The Hyatt Regency Jersey city boasts fantastic views of New York City. Since I was in the area after a one day layover at home from the OWMD and a stay at the Hyatt 48 Lex, I thought I’d stop by the Hyatt Regency Jersey City for a quick one night stay. As a Hyatt…
Guest Post – Kauai Trip Report – St Regis Princeville
The St Regis branding uses to the term ‘Bespoke’ to describe their service. Admittedly I had to look up what that actually meant, but now that I know I’d say they are correct. The entire stay was incredible from start to finish but three standout acts of bespoke service from the staff helped distinguish this…
Mile High Battle – AA First Vs Delta First
In this post I’ll share 8 reasons why I believe AA domestic First Class is superior to Delta’s First Class. I recently came clean to Delta about my rendezvous with American Airlines. Since I’ll be flying with AA more and more I learned how to get an upgrade to AA First Class as a gold…
Hyatt 48 Lex Trip Report
The Hyatt at 48 Lex in New York is not only one of Hyatt’s newest properties, but also one of the only non-Hyatt owned properties. This hotel looked great and offers slightly different Diamond amenities than the Hyatt owned properties. I decided to check it out for myself while I was in Manhattan. Arrival Prior…
Guest Post – Exploring Lihue
The world is full of beautiful beach destinations. While I have experienced my fair share across the globe, I still have not found a beach destination that excites me more than the islands of Hawaii. In November, my family arranged a get together to celebrate a new niece in the family fueled by the power…
Delta A330 Business Class Trip Report – Always Check The Plane Type Before Booking
Throwbacks are great, like this weekend when I flew in the old Northwest Airlines and I got to throw back some drinks with Samantha Brown in business class. In this post I’ll share how strategically selecting a plane will help your changes for an upgrade. In addition I’ll share some pictures of the A330 business…
Guest Post: 13 SPG Free Resort Nights burning a hole in my pocket
Introduction Last October I encountered the very best problem a business traveler can have. Through my diligence insanity, I ran the table with the Stay Three, Getaway Free SPG Promotion and had 13 expiring Free Resort Nights with no place to go. With a brand new niece and a family spread across the country, a…